A 'Hime's Pain
by mangaka-sensi
Summary: You looked at her with eyes filled with love and worry. I don't know if you tried or noticed but you did. Earlier before I was telling you the truth when I told you that I didn't want you to look at me like that. In truth... I wanted to see that look."


Disclaimer: I do not own bleach.

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**A Hime's Pain**

Orihime was alone sitting in the middle of the park looking up to the full moon. Remembering all that night's events. She looked down at her now dried bloodied hands. Memories flashed before her eyes and she was back in that afternoon in the Soul Society, running up to a falling Ichigo.

_"Oof!"_

_Ichigo fell to the ground holding his head in his hands. It hurt like hell._

_"I'm sorry Ichigo! Are you okay?" She giggled nervously. "I have a hard head. I tired to catch you but.."_

_Ichigo looked up and his mouth went slack. "ORIHIME?!"_

_"Hmm. You are in good spirits for someone who is covered in blood. Ichigo."_

_"Uryu?! CHAD?! GANJU?! WHO'RE YOU?!"_

_The mustache man looked at him pointedly. "Just ignore me."_

_Ichigo put on a smile that made Orihime's heart melt. "You're all okay! Good."_

_Uryu smirked. "We're not okay. But compared to you, we're practically unscathed."_

_Ichigo looked over at her. "Are you hurt Orihime?"_

_Orihime waved her hands in the air in front of her chest. "HUH? M-ME?! N-not at all!" She started jumping around. When she talked to Ichigo she couldn't help but feel...excited. "I wasn't much help though. Uryu protected me and so did some of the soul reapers! Zaraki-sempai even gave me a piggy-back ride! I'm fine!" She finally calmed down and knelt back down besides the lying Ichigo. "I wasn't in any danger. I...I was just...I was just worried about you." Her eyes filled with tears. I was just..worried about you. I'm sorry I...couldn't protect you, Ichigo. Thanks for not getting killed..I'm so glad,...you're all right." She let the tears flow and smiled sadly at Ichigo. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw Ichigo's eyes soften._

_"Thanks.....Orihime."_

'I was so happy that you were worried about me and was concerned if I was hurt or not. That made me the happiest woman alive. But when I was healing you up..all you would do was murmur in the lowest voice you could, hoping no one would hear, over and over..."I hope she is safe." I knew who you were talking about. It was the same girl that got us here in the first place. It was the same woman who got us stuck running away from almost all the soul reapers of the soul society. The same woman that got you here, bleeding and me..healing you. Rukia Kuichiki. Then...when that girl from squad four told everyone that Rukia was back at the Sokyoku and was about to die by that bastard Aizen's hands...The face that you put on was the look of worry, dread, and the fury of hell itself. When you jumped and switched to Bankai in the air like that I was so amazed...and I was so scared. That wasn't you. That wasn't you and I didn't want to look at you. We ran on ahead to get to the top after you, thinking we could catch up. But we were only half-way there when Aizen ran off and we found Rukia..alive and well..unscathed as always...leaning over her bleeding brother. I felt sympathy for her there. Knowing how it feels to be loved by a brother..and finding you slit in half only connected by the spine and dying. After the little story that Byakuya, I think his name was, told to Rukia...she walked over to you and you smiled up at her. She smiled with sad eyes as if in pity and I wanted to slap her.

But she wasn't saying it out of pity. She just knelt down beside you and kept calling you a fool. You didn't care. You just smiled and chuckled a bit. When you were finally healed, it was not I, but Rukia that helped you back up to your feet. You weren't taken away by the healers but Rukia was so she could eat and regain strength and you followed her. You told us that I and the rest of them should heal up some too. We all agreed naturally. Some went up and talked to you but I watched from a distance. Seeing how happy you were now. Seeing how you looked at Rukia. Feeling...a aura that was so gentle like a warm spring breeze around you...

It made me feel sick and pain shot through my chest.

When we were leaving to go back to the soul society Rukia didn't come along and I was happy..and a little bit sad that she wasn't coming back with us. Maybe this was the chance for me to get you to like me. But..you fell more head over heels in love for her. When you were fighting those guys that work under Aizen, when they came and Chad and I fought against them, I tried my hardest to keep them back. Thinking I could. Knowing that if I could do this on my own you would like me more than that..that..woman. But no. I had to go and get Tsubaki hurt...and..and..sob..

Myself

Then you came and you saved me. You changed to your bankai form. And I was scared more from the power erupting from you. I knew that wasn't you. Something was wrong..and I knew it. Just because of that I believe..that's why you got hurt. Then I had to go and...RUIN IT!

_Orihime couldn't move. The huge hand of the monster came at her when Ichigo appeared out of no where and stopped the hand._

_"Ichigo." Orihime replied tiredly. Ichigo looked back at her, eyes hard as steel. "Sorry I took so long Orihime."_

_Orihime put her head down in shame. "I'm sorry..I'm sorry Ichigo. If only..I was stronger.."_

_Ichigo turned away from her to look at the to Espada's. "It's not your fault Orihime don't worry." He raised Zangetsu and pointed it at them. "Theses guys..are dead meat!"_

_"BANKAI!"_

Once again..I was scared. I couldn't believe..it..your power..gritty..thick..dirty..not like what I felt at the Sokyoku. No..it was not something I knew that came from you..you were..different. You got hurt..I ran to help..

_"ICHIGO!"_

I was so afraid..that..I didn't see the hand come and swat me away..but I felt the pain that came with it..

_"ORIHIME!"_

I black out..but came back from the darkness to find in front of me, giving me a pill to stop the bleeding..I felt numbness..I knew I wasn't going to die..but I wish I did. I looked so pathetic out there.

When you visited me when I was healing in Mr. Urahara's shop...you looked at me with guilty eyes. I didn't want you to look at me like that..no..it's too much..I should be the one that's guilty.

_"I'm fine. I should have stayed back like you said. It was my own fault that I got really isn't as bad as it looks. So don't look at me like that. It wan't your fault."_

You went into a slump not long after that. You couldn't fight correctly..you couldn't think straight. You thought you were the most weakest person ever to walk the Earth. I wanted to get you out of it..but I wouldn't know how to. Then Rukia came back...appearing out of the blue and got you out of the slump. You had the same glint in your eyes, the edge in your voice. I thanked Rukia with all my heart I was truly happy..I was! But when I got back home..I..I..felt useless. Matsumoto-san came and was going to spend the night so I put on a brave face not wanting her to see me like that. But as I let her into the bath, I knew the pain I was feeling when she asked..I just opened up. She was in the bath and I was telling her everything..and I told her that I was an evil witch...I wasn't talking about Rukia..I was talking about me..even now I fell like one. She said that as long as I'm happy I shouldn't care. And I agreed. Then..those men...no...monsters came back. And they had murder on their heads that night. But...they lost all but one.

That was the one that you were fighting, Ichigo.

You fought him...with rage and hatred...I wanted to know why..and I saw the reason when Matsumoto came to me and she showed me the wounded Rukia. I started healing her on the spot..and then you came back. I was already half way done healing her. I inhaled and exhaled and took a chance to look at you..I looked...thinking that you would still have the same look you had when I was hurt...I was mistaken...You looked at her..with loved filled..worried eyes. I don't know if you noticed that..but you did. That look you gave me...that look..I was telling the truth when I said that you didn't need to look at me like that. In truth..I wanted to see that look.

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So Yeah... that's all. Hope you enjoyed.


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